This lovely boathouse boasts great river views and outstanding instruction for the novice rower.
Located past the Mid-Hudson Bridge, near the Poughkeepsie train station, the Hudson River Rowing Association can be slightly tricky to get to if it's your first time there, and the directions on the website make this process slightly more convoluted than it has to be, in my opinion. But once you get down to the boathouse, the river views are outstanding, and it really makes you want to get out onto the river and row!
The staff is friendly, and novices have a choice of one of three sessions: a free Saturday introductory session; a series of 90-minute sessions on weekday evenings; and a novice rowing group, which meets during the summer and teaches novices the ins-and-outs of rowing with their fellow team members. Sessions include a tour of the boathouse - which also serves as the "home" of a number of local high school and college crew teams, including Vassar - work on the rowing machines and time in the expansive indoor rowing tanks. The staff are encouraging to all newcomers to this graceful sport, and emphasize an individual pace. Very nice overall! read more